The sad thing is that just like fatalities resulting from traffic and aviation accidents, people who die from COVID-19 are often reduced to a statistic.
But there are faces behind these numbers, and many grieving loved ones left behind.
In the past two months or so, the number of COVID-19 deaths has increased as a result of the surge in community cases.
No personal details of these fatalities are released, so the public doesn’t know much about them.
But the story of one COVID-19 case who succumbed to the virus has spread due to the kindness and generosity he displayed when he was still with us.
MacPherson Family Doctor Died of COVID-19 Over the Weekend
A 65-year-old doctor at Hossana Medical Centre died in Tan Tock Seng Hospital over the weekend, according to messages on social media.
Dr Raymond Yuen, who worked as a family physician at the Macpherson clinic, was described as a kind and caring doctor.
According to an 8World report, a staff member at his clinic said Dr Yuen would have contracted COVID-19 from a patient.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) disputed this claim, saying there’s no evidence he was infected by a COVID-19 patient.
It added that Dr Yuen’s clinic is neither a Public Health Preparedness Clinic nor a Swab-and-Send-Home Clinic. There are no records at the clinic of any visits from COVID-19 patients either.
MOH said Dr Yuen had succumbed to the disease on 9 Oct, and expressed its condolences.
It added that Dr Yuen had been partially vaccinated with a non-mRNA vaccine, and had no known medical conditions.
Kept Consultation Charges Low To Help Needy Patients
Offering her condolences in a Facebook post, MacPherson MP Tin Pei Ling said she was saddened to hear of the doctor’s passing.
“I learnt about the great things he had done for our community in MacPherson from residents who used to see him at his clinic,” she said.
Dr Yuen was said to have made trips to the clinic less intimidating for residents. He also cared deeply for his patients and often offered tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle.
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“Residents knew that he did so out of sincerity and care for their well-being. Many of his patients became friends with him,” Ms Tin said.
According to Ms Tin, Dr Yuen kept his consultation charges low to encourage the needy in his area to seek medical care.
“Perhaps as a resident himself, he saw how MacPherson has a significant community of elderly and less privileged residents,” Ms Tin said.
“Many of us are moved by his benevolence to the community.”
Mr Yuen arrived in Singapore in 1990 from Hong Kong, where he was born. He attained a Master of Medicine from the National University of Singapore in 1992 and eventually became a Singaporean citizen.
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His generosity towards his domestic helper also made him the subject of headlines back in 2005.
After his helper’s daughter’s home and school were destroyed in the 2004 tsunami, Dr Yuen paid rent for her family in Sri Lanka for one year, and flew her daughter to Singapore.
He even enrolled the girl in school and paid her school fees on occasion.
As Ms Tin said in her post: “Our thoughts are with his family. I sincerely hope that the family will find the strength to overcome the grief.”
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Featured Image: 365cps.org.sg & Google Maps
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